Suction cleaning apparatus



v March 1941- J. H. ASHBAUGH 3 Q SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS Filed July 20, 1938 INVENTOR' Jorm H.ASHBAUGH.

ATTORNE Patented Mar. 4, 1941 PATENT OFFICE mam scones assume arrsnsrus John E Aailbalg 8 Mausassignorto pringiield, estinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation cf Peyl Application on; so, rose, Serial No. was:

s oi (oi. is-ei My invention relates to' suction cleaners and has for an object to provide improved apparatus of this kind.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for adjusting the rotating brush of a cleaner for floor coverings.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved suction cleaning apparatus having a rotatable element that engages the surface being.

- cleaned wherein the element may be readily ad- Justed relative its support without removing the element from the cleaning apparatus.

A still further object of the invention is to pro-'- vide an improved adjustable rotating brush structure for a suction cleaner having indicla for indicating the position to which the brush is ad- Ihese and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application. in which: 7

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through a portion of a suction cleaner nozzle having a rotatable brush structure therein constructed and arranged in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken along the line 11-11 of Fig. 1; and,

Figs. 3 and 4 are side and end views respectively of the bearing member shown in Fig. 1.

Reference will now be had to the drawing wherein I have shown a portion of a conventional suction cleaner nozzle at "having a rotatable brush ii disposed therein and actuated in any well-known manner such as, for example, by the suction creating apparatus (not shown). The opposite end of the nomle IO and brush ii are not shown as-the construction thereof is similar to the end shown. The male ill is provided at its bottom with lips' I! that engage the floor covering to be cleaned and which encompass an inlet opening I! for air translated through the nozzle. The brush ll includes a plurality of bristles. N that normally extend slightly below the plane of 5 the lips i2 and sweep the surface being cleaned sary to the brush structure it downwardly in order to obtain proper contact between the bristles i4 and. the iioor covering. 'Ihe adjustment of the brush upwardly and downwardly is eifected by the adjustable bearing structure II to g be described hereinafter. when the brush it is new, the bearing structure is adjusted to its most elevated position and. as the brush becomes worn. the bearing structure isperiodically adjusted to lower the brush H. structure includes abearingmember il. preferably polygonal in cross section as best shown in Figs. 2 and 4 where it is supported from the nozzle ll. Inthe embodiment shown.thebearing member is hexagonal in cross-section for providing six i'aces it on the exterior thereoi. the faces il being spaced uniformly from the centerof the bearing member ll andthebrushiournal lIbeing eccentrically disposed with respect to the center ofthebearingmemberlhasbestshowninmd.

Support tor the bearing member i1 is provided withinthe nozzle II by means or a pair of flatsprings i! that are secured to the nozzle II by means or ascrewil. The springs ll bearagainst opposed sidealiof thebearing member I! and are a preferably provided with inwardly extending portions 22 which prevent downward movement of ,the bearing ii in service. Upward movement of the bearing i1 is prevented by the screw 2 I.

Adjustment of the brush ll upwardly and go downwardly is eflected by rotating the bearing member i'l within its resilient support. As the center of the bearing member I1 is maintained in a fixed position relative the nozzle II, it will be apparent that the Journal ll whichis eccentrically 5 disposed with respect to the center of the bearing member It, will be raised or lowered depending upon which direction the bearing member I1 is rotated. In the position shown, the bearing member i1 is adjusted so that the journal I! of the brush is in its most elevated position, or the position occupied when the brush is new. Rotation of the bearing member I! clockwise to bring the next succeeding faces it into engagement with the springs I! will efiect a downward move- 5 meat of the brush ii, which operation is eifected when the brush has been worn suflici'ently to require adjustment. It will be apparent that the hexagonal bearing member I! provides for four positions of the brush ll.

In order to facilitate rotation of the bearing member IT, a plurality of recesses or slots 23' are formed on the exterior thereof for receiving a suitable tool such as, ior example, a screw driver, which may be inserted through the inlet gg The adjustable bearing 1 opening iii of the nozzle Ill. After inserting the tool in a recess 23, it is moved to eifect a rotary movement of the bearing member II, at which time the springs I9 flex to permit the corners intermediate the faces It to pass. The springs l9 then move inwardly to engage the next succeeding pair of faces ll. Indicia indicated at 2, such as, for example, the numerals I to I, may be provided on the outer surface of the bearing member l! for indicating the position to which it has been adjusted. In this connection, it will be understood that the bearings at both ends of the brush II should be adjusted to the same index. The resilient springs Is for supporting the bearing member I! readily permit insertion and removal of the brush and bearing H from the nozzle l0 when desired.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that I have provided improved means for adjusting the rotatable brush of a cleaner for floor coverings that may be readily adjusted without removal of the brush from the apparatus. Furthermore, the brush may be readily removed from the apparatus if desired, for cleaning or replacement.

While I have shown my invention in but one *form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposedby the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In suction cleaning apparatus, the combination of a nozzle, a rotatable element disposed therein for engaging the surface to be cleaned, a member polygonal in cross-section and having a plurality of sides, said member being provided with a bearingin which the rotatable element is Journaled, said bearing being eccentrically disposed with respect to the axis of the member, and resilient means carried by the nozzle and engaging at least one of the sides of the member forming the polygon for supporting the member in the nozzle, said means affording rotary movement of the member about its center'while supporting the same, whereby the axis of the rotating element is adjustable toward the mouth of the nozzle.

2. In suction cleaning apparatus, the combination of a nozzle, a rotatable element disposed therein for engaging the surface to be cleaned, a member polygonal in cross-section and having 1 a pluralityof sides, said member being provided with a bearing in which the rotatable element is jcurnaled, said bearing being eccentrically disposed with respect to the axisof the member, resilient means carried by the nozzle and engagi s at least one of the sides of the member forming the polygon for supporting the member in the nozzle, said means affording rotary movement of the member about its center while supporting the same, whereby the axis of the rotating element is adjustable toward the mouth ofthe nozzle, and means-arranged exteriorly of the member for receiving "a. tool employed in rotating the member during adjustment thereof, the parts being constructed and arranged so that a tool may be inserted through the mouth of the nozzle and rotate said member by engagement with said last-mentioned means.

3, In suction cleaning apparatus, the combination of a nozzle, a rotatable element disposed therein for engaging the surface to be cleaned,

a member polygonal in cross-section and having a plurality of sides uniformly spaced from the center of the member, said member being ,pro-

'vided with a bearing in which said rotatable element is journaled, said bearing being eccentrically disposed with respect to the center of' tion of a nozzle, a rotatable element disposed therein for engaging the surface to be cleaned, a member polygonal in cross-section and having a plurality of sides uniformly spaced from the center of the member, said member being provided with a bearing in which said rotatable element is journaled, said bearing being eccentrically disposed with respect to the center of the member, and resilient means carried by the nozzle and engag ng opposite sides of the member which form the polygon for supporting the memher in the nozzle, said resilient means affording rotary movement of the member about its center,

without removing the member from the resilient means, whereby the axis of the rotatingelement is adJustable toward the mouth of the nozzle and said member having a plurality of slots formed onthe exterior thereof for receiving a tool employed in adjusting the member, the parts being constructed and arranged so-that a tool may be inserted through the mouth of the nozzle and the member rotated by engagement of said 7 tool in one of said slots.

5. In suction cleaning apparatus, the combination of an air intake nozzle, a rotatable brush disposed in the inlet thereof, a member of polyg-' onal cross-section and having a plurality or sides spaced substantially uniformly about the center of the member, a bearing in which the brush is Journaled formed in the member and eccentrically disposed relative the center thereof, resilient means carried by the nozzle and engaging opposite sides of the member forming the polygon for supporting the member, said resilient means affording rotary movement of the 7 member whereby the position of the brushfand its bearing is adjustabletoward the mouthof the nozzle, and said member having respective recesses associated with at least a,portion of the sides thereof for receiving a'tool employed in adjusting the member within its supporting resilient means, the parts being constructed and arranged so that such tool may be inserted through the mouth of the nozzle and the member adjusted by engagement of such tool in one of said recesses.

6. In suction cleaning appa atua'th combination of an air intake nozzle, a'rotatable brush I disposed in the inlet thereof,,a member having a bearing portion eccentrically dis osed with respect to the center of the member and in which the'brush is iournalled, and spring clip means .secured to the interior of the nozzle andvradially engaging opposite circumferential sides of the member for supporting the same 'therebetween and permitting rotary movementof the member while the sameremains positioned by the spring 7 clip means, the member and the spring clip means being formed with interlocking portions which yieldably retain the member against rotary movement in any one 01' a plurality of different rotary or angular positions, whereby'the brush may be adjusted toward the exterior or the mouth of the nozzle.

7. Suction cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said member and said nozzle are constructed and arranged so that a tool may be inserted through the mouth of the nozzle and engaged with said member and so that said member may be rotated without material translatory movement when so engaged by said screw driver.

8. In suction cleaning apparatus, the combination 0! an air intake nozzle, a rotatable brush disposed in the nozzle adjacent the mouth thereof, a member having a bearing portion in which the brush is journaled, and means carried by said nozzle for supporting said member, said supporting means permitting rotary movement of said bearing member about an axis parallel to but onset from the axis of said bearing portion without removing the member from the supporting means. said supporting means including spring means for yieldably retaining said member against rotary movement, said nozzle and said member being constructed and arranged so that a screw driver may be inserted through the mouth of the nozzle and engaged with said member and so that said member may be rotated by said screw driver when so engaged, whereby said brush may be adjusted toward the exterior of the mouth 01 the nozzle.

JOHN H. ASHB AUGH. 

